Karim Benzema has credited the exit of Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid four years ago with helping propel him to claim his maiden Ballon d'Or crown on Monday evening.
Now 34, the former Lyon striker has found the best form of his career – starring as Los Blancos beat Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Man City on their way to securing their 14th European title. Carlo Ancelotti's side claimed the title after defeating Liverpool in the Champions League final.
Earlier this year, former Madrid assistant coach Aitor Karanka, speaking to Mirror Football, tipped Benzema for the Ballon d'Or and explained: "The key moment for Karim was when Cristiano left. His body language can fool you when you do not know him, but I knew that he would replace Cristiano as the leader of that team. He has aged like a fine wine. His presence alone on the pitch is important for his teammates and he can win any individual award."
Ronaldo, who has won five Ballon d'Or crowns, was the superstar among superstars – the Portuguese forward netted a scarcely believable 450 goals in just 438 first-team appearances for Real Madrid. Benzema – whose Madrid career has spanned 14 seasons – has now moved up to 328 goals, second on the top scorers' list after moving past Raul (323) earlier this year.
The Frenchman was always a prolific scorer but has come into his own in terms of goals and leading the line since Ronaldo's exit. Four of Benzema's best six goalscoring seasons have come since Ronaldo joined Juventus in 2018 – he had bagged just 12 goals in the 2017/18 campaign, but his numbers for the season since have been 30, 27, 30 and last season's remarkable 44-goal return.
Benzema said of Ronaldo on Monday evening after receiving the award: "It was an honour to play with him, he's a beast. The day he left, the ambition to be a better player then entered my head. Since he left, I've been motivated to do more things on the pitch."
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Speaking in an interview with Onze Mondial earlier this year, Benzema revealed he studied Ronaldo's game closely during their nine-year spell together in Spain and picked up a few useful tricks.
The Frenchman explained: "When I watched him, I tried to understand everything he did: the goals, the shots, the passes, the ball controI. I dissected everything about Ronaldo. That's why I can say: it's impossible to achieve the same."
Benzema and Ronaldo played alongside each other in the Spanish capital for nine years between 2009 and 2018, when the Portuguese star primarily played centrally with Benzema on the right flank – before he moved centrally following Ronaldo's departure.
